Cyna Rodriguez flexes muscles, grabs Orchard lead

MANILA, Philippines — Now playing like the favorite that she is tipped, Cyna Rodriguez Tuesday stood out on a demanding day to shoot a three-under-par 69 and zoom to a four-stroke lead with one round left in the ICTSI Orchard Ladies Classic at the Player Course in Dasmariñas, Cavite.

Rodriguez gunned down two of her five birds inside the final five holes and erstwhile leader Chihiro Ikeda faded in that stretch as Rodriguez tallied 141 after 36 holes and moved on the verge of a third straight title on the circuit backed by Nike Golf, Pacsports, Custom Clubmakers and Sharp.

Ikeda, who fired a 69 to open things up on Monday, bogeyed the 14th and 15th holes for a 38-38 card, enabling amateur match play champion Daniela Uy to come within a stroke after a 73 for 146.

Jayvie Agojo skied to a 77 for 147, dropping six shots behind from just one off Ikeda at the start of the day.

She would need a super low round today in order to snap a long winless spell on the local tour.

“It’s still not a safe lead,” Rodriguez, who ran away with the Order of Merit title last year, said.

“The rest still has a chance. I need to still play my game.” Rodriguez surged to the lead after the first nine holes with a 34, and used a two-shot swing to full effect on the 14th which she birdied.

Ikeda then dropped a second straight shot on the next hole—her fifth bogey of the round—to fall three back before Rodriguez picked up a shot on the par-5 18th for the second straight round for that commanding lead.

Anya Tanpinco matched par and caught Agojo, with Indonesia’s Amolkan Phalavijin shooting a 75 after an opening 80 to be at 155, 14 strokes out and out of it all.